Newspapers are not on sale in Italy today and newspaper websites are not being updated. News agencies have also joined in the “news strike” and there will be no news bulletins on TV until tomorrow.
The blackout is a protest against the government’s proposed “wiretapping law” which aims to limit the use of wiretaps in criminal investigations and prevent journalists from reporting extracts from wiretapped conversations. If passed, the law would also prevent journalists from reporting on criminal cases before they come to court.
Mr Berlusconi’s government says that the law will bring Italy into line with the rest of Europe on wiretapping and protect privacy. This may all seem reasonable enough but it is necessary to understand that in Italy, it can be years before a case actually comes to court.
Journalists feel that the freedom of the press is at stake and a leading anti-Mafia judge has commented that the law would hamper serious criminal investigations.
Protestors against what they call the “gagging” bill - legge bavaglio - are wearing post-it notes across their mouths today and the statue of Dante in Bolzano is wearing a gag.
